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Carson Cumberbatch has a history that dates back over a hundred years in the plantations industry. It began in the 19th Century with investments in coffee and rubber plantations in Sri Lanka which were later divested. In the early 1900s, investments were made in rubber plantations in Malaysia which were converted to oil palm plantations in 1969. In 1996, the Group ventured into Indonesia where it acquired PT Agro Indomas with a land bank of 12,104 hectares. Today, the sector has grown and strengthened its oil palm plantation base with a land bank of 112,813 hectares which is situated mainly in Indonesia.

The Palm Oil Industry

The legacy that began back then is continuing and strengthening today. The oil palm plantations business segment has been a key contributor to the growth achieved by the Carsons Group over the last decade. The business segment is set to continue its positive growth, as palm oil is currently the largest produced edible oil globally, and has diverse uses for both edible and non-edible purposes. Even though the global crude palm oil prices do show volatility, the global demand for edible oils has seen steady growth during the past two decades with increasing consumption both due to population growth and increase in per capita consumption.

Expansion within the Identified Value Chain

The growth achieved thus far and the resultant need to expand the sector within the identified value chain led to the sector's assets being consolidated under Goodhope Asia Holdings Ltd; incorporated in Singapore in 2008 as the holding entity for the sector. The entry in July 2011 to the oils and fats business segment through the acquisition of three subsidiaries specializing in edible oil refining and specialty fats production has enabled Goodhope to leverage on larger combined economies of scale and further expand within the food industry.

Sustainable Oil Palm Plantation Operations

The oil palm plantations segment of Goodhope is structured in line with the company's sustainable plantations development model and considers environmental, social and economic sustainability aspects when undertaking business operations. Today, this segment of Goodhope has 12 oil palm plantation companies in Indonesia with a combined gross planted hectarage of 67,141. The segment also has eight crude palm oil mills in operation in Indonesia's Kalimantan region with a committed capacity of 2,828,300 MT per annum and two kernel crushing plantswith a capacity of 93,060MT per annum.

Goodhope is committed to producing sustainable palm oil in a manner that is legally compliant and traceable, that protects natural ecosystems and biodiversity, and that respects the rights of indigenous peoples, workers, and local communities. We made our pledge to No Deforestation, No Development on Peat, and No Exploitation (NDPE) in May 2017 and have since been working to enforce these principles both within our own operations and across our supply chain. We are a member of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) and adopt the RSPO Principles and Criteria (P&C) and all related guidance and requirements as applicable. To date, five (5) of our palm oil mills have achieved RSPO certification and we are currently working towards certifying the remaining three (3) mills.

Edible Oils and Fats Operations

This segment of Goodhope produces a wide range of refined and fractionated oils and specialty that caters to the bakery, chocolate and confectionery, and ice cream industries. The two companies in the sector specialize in edible oil refining and specialty fats production and are based in Malaysia and India. The specialty oils and fats products are based on palm kernel oil, palm oil and crude coconut oil. We have two refining and manufacturing facilities with a total combined production capacity of 151,200 MT of specialty fats per year and 160,600 MT of cooking oil and animal feed and other by-products per year. In addition, we also operate a solvent extraction plant with a rated capacity of 219,000 MT per year of PK.

This segment supplies products to some world renowned brands in over 50 countries across the globe. In October 2012, the refining facilities in Pasir Gudang, Malaysia were awarded the RSPO supply chain certification.

Future Plans

The growth in demand for palm oil and Goodhope's expansion activities has increased the importance of the gains that can be achieved with economies of scale.